Episode Summary

When several women in Virginia are found murdered in a similar manner, SSA David Rossi reopens an unsolved cold case in Bristol that has haunted him for a quarter of a century because he believes the original killer, who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, might have returned.moreless

OK episode but I don't like this new direction they're taking the show...

I had read how the producers had wanted to reduce the female presence on the show and of course we lost JJ last episode and reportedly they will be reducing Pagets influence also so...where does that leave us? With a much less interesting show in my opinion. These strong women were(are)the heart of this show. I just don't see how this is supposed to work out for the show, I don't think men or women will like this direction. But hey, what do I know except that I may be going in a different direction too. We'll see what happens.moreless

I have a different perspective on this episode - I saw it yesterday for the first time when it was repeated. Not seeing the show for a while made this episode seem pretty good to me.moreless

Didn't know about the "Ellie" back story, so it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story - and I didn't miss JJ - in cases like this she was usually relegated to the background. This story, as many before it have been, was scary and fascinating at the same time. When I see men like "The Butcher" I always wonder how a human being becomes a thing of pure evil. I didn't quite buy his son becoming a willing participant - sure he probably spent his life trying to please a father incapable of love - but to become a killer just like him, and to have blocked out the brutal murder of his mother - didn't ring true. But the investigation and the fact that this meant a cold case was finally solved made this an interesting story for me.moreless

Remembrance of Things Past

An interesting episode this was indeed. I just wonder, whether the BAU would really go different ways to catch the unsub because of the gut feeling of one of the agents (ok, he is one of the most senior). But besides that, I found the case very interesting (even with the conflicting portrait of a person with Alzheimer's) and can understand that Rossi was tortured by the case because he never got the guy in the first run. (But has it always to be Rossi though, who has an old unsolved case, it makes you think that he was not that good at the job first time around and he therefore needed to retire and write the books.)What I liked for example: Rossi, who believes that evil exists, whereas Morgan says: "I believe there are evil acts, but those are choices - brain chemistry." (Season 4 Episode 17) This is picked up again when they are sitting in the plane and Morgan asks Rossi: "What's in the box?" And Rossi says only one word: "Evil."And now forget all the inconsistencies of the storyline. Where does that leave you with a serial killer who suffers from Alzheimer's? He did not have it when he started killing, so there are, if you will, your evil acts, but when he got Alzheimer's and forgot the last kill and had to relive it over and over again and forced his son to help him ... And how is the son responsible for his actions? I mean he has never learned that life is not supposed to be the way he experienced it. And the psychological dependency is believable, even if one could state that he could have known by now that what he was doing was wrong. I would really like to know what would actually happen to those people after they are caught. In this case the killer tried to commit suicide in his prison cell, but would he really have been convicted in court and put in prison, or rather declared unfit for trial and locked away in some forensic psychiatric hospital? What happened to the son? I have not the most profound insight in the American Penal System, so please writers indulge me.They could write something before the credits start, just to give me some closure.moreless

I loved the intrigue, the mystery and the really ruthless case!

This was a sad episode, as it was the first episode of Criminal Minds, ever, that did not star AJ Cook. However, it was also an immensely interesting case and one that I certainly aenjoyed and loved a lot.

The killers were sick and disgusting, and the Alzheimer's really added a new and different dimension to this show. It was quite disgusting but they made a great episode out of it, with a very complex storyline.Great work by the writers, and I feel that this epiode is heavily underrated. Keep up the good work, Criminal Minds. THis show wiwll never be the same again, after AJ Cook's departure, but it can still be good.moreless

Just not the same...

Ok... JJ was my favorite character but I still love all the other characters so I decided to continue watching the show to support those characters, but to be honest it lacks something without JJ. Now this episode was good, I won't lie, that's mostly why I gave it a 4.5 which isn't very good but better than what it could have been. And it only being the 1st episode without JJ I will still probably watch the show at least for a little longer...but the team just doesn't feel like the same team. It doesn't feel like a family anymore and if they can't get that feeling back....well then its time for me to find a new favorite show. And hopefully CBS will come to their senses and bring JJ back because to be honest even if they replace her it still won't feel like the family that it was.moreless

Rossi: Mark Twain wrote, "When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not. But my faculties are decaying now, and soon I shall be so that I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this, but we all have to do it."

NOTES (2)

After the departure of A.J. Cook in "JJ," this episode presented new opening credits with new footage of the cast and a new group shot with the remaining cast, as well as a new version of the theme song.

Important:
You must only upload images which you have created yourself or that you are expressly authorised or licensed to upload. By clicking "Publish", you are confirming that the image fully complies with TV.com’s Terms of Use and that you own all rights to the image or have authorization to upload it.

Please read the following before uploading

Do not upload anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload. The images should not contain any sexually explicit content, race hatred material or other offensive symbols or images. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules!